The Secret Admirer (DI Natalie Ward #6) by Carol Wyer
Genre: Crime fiction, police procedural
Read: 17th July 2020
(publication date: 2nd April 2020)
★★★★ 4 stars
I have been a fan of Carol Wyer's Natalie Ward series since almost the beginning and though it took me a while to warm to her, she is now one of my favourite detectives. When book 5 "The Blossom Twins" ended with such a heartbreaking twist, I was gutted. And I didn't know how Natalie, whose marriage was already on the rocks, was going to weather the storm ahead.
THE SECRET ADMIRER is the sixth installment and picks up a couple of months after where "The Blossom Twins" ended. There has been tragedy and trauma and, now living in a flat until their house can be sold, Natalie must now pick up the pieces of the life she once knew and loved. Having been on leave for the past few months, Natalie feels she is ready to return to work.
Nineteen year old Gemma Barnes is a student studying languages at Samford University when she falls victim to a shocking acid attack. A witness rushes to her assistance but Gemma dies an agonising death before the ambulance arrives. Who would want to kill Gemma who, for all intents and purposes, appears to be well-liked?
DI Natalie Ward receives the call to investigate this suspicious death and immediately focuses on her housemates, questioning their whereabouts at the time of the attack. They all appear to have an alibi for the busy Friday evening. But as Natalie and her team investigate, they soon discover that some of the housemates are being less than truthful. So what is it they are they hiding?
During a search of Gemma's room, the team uncover a letter addressed to her from "an admirer". Was this a targeted attack? And if so, by whom? Natalie is unable to uncover any other letters, so is unsure if this is just a once-off or if she should be concerned about it.
Then Natalie receives a call from one of the housemates, Hattie, with some information regarding the case and asks to meet her. But when Hattie doesn't show, Natalie starts to wonder if the woman had second thoughts or if something more sinister has taken place. She begins to search for her whereabouts and looking into her background but to no avail. Hattie appears to have vanished. Then her car is found at the railway station. Has she done a flit? Along with any information she had to impart on the investigation? But where would Hattie go? Her only thought is to her father, who is a vicar in a small village, but he hasn't seen her either.
Then a body is found in the doorway of an abandoned shop under a sheaf of blankets. Natalie prepares herself for the victim to be Hattie but is shocked to discover that it is one of the other housemates. With no visual signs as to cause of death, it is soon revealed she had ingested acid which lead to her demise. Who is targeting the women of 35 Eastview Avenue?
The deeper the investigation goes more disturbing details are revealed as another murder is discovered. But things worsen even moreso as Natalie's ex-husband David becomes a suspect when it is found he knew two of the victims. Their marriage may have fallen apart and David may be many things...but is he a murderer? Natalie must put aside her personal feelings and work to establish his role in the murders or eliminate him as a suspect.
I have read a good many of Carol Wyer's books and I love her style and approach. I love her characters, or love to hate them, and I love the complex multi-layered mystery of each book. THE SECRET ADMIRER had a lot to live up after in the wake of that devastating twist at the end of "The Blossom Twins". It was always going to be hard to move beyond that and get better. I love how Natalie has finally moved out, after to-ing and fro-ing over it in the last books. David was always portrayed as someone we loved to hate after all he put Natalie through, but this book shows a different side to him.
I have to hand it to Carol Wyer because this time I did not guess the killer until near the end, a little before they were exposed. It started to make sense to me and then BOOM! All was revealed. I'm usually pretty good at guessing the culprit but THE SECRET ADMIRER had so many red herrings to steer us off in the wrong direction, it left a more obvious one in the dark. When I say "obvious", it is only that after we know and we're left thinking "Of course! Now it makes perfect sense!"
The chapters aren't as short as usually like, but this series is so enthralling most of the time you don't notice their length. The pace is relentless with a compelling narrative that doesn't let up until the end. The tangled web of secrets, lies and deceit unfolds amidst a tension so palpable that I could not put it down.
This series is by far one of my favourites, despite coming in on just the second book, as I have watched Natalie's family life slowly implode. Although this is a thrilling read, it didn't quite live up to the previous one, but that was a tough one to top. THE SECRET ADMIRER does feature Natalie's personal life a little more due to her recent tragedy as well as David's involvement in the case. Things are still very raw for her as she finds comparisons in almost every situation. I may not have warmed to Natalie at first but I have really come to love her and her team. I missed Murray's presence in the last book as he was (out here) in Australia - I remember a reference to him being at Bondi Beach in wintry conditions, though not as cold as the UK, I'm sure. I was glad to see his return in this one.
Some say THE SECRET ADMIRER suffices as a standalone but I have to disagree. Yes, the reader is given enough information about past events and each book follows a different case, but the entire series is connected throughout and starting from the beginning would give a complete and fuller picture. Besides, reading this one will only spoil earlier books, should you decide to read them, particularly the one immediately preceding THE SECRET ADMIRER.
In all, THE SECRET ADMIRER is a fantastic addition to one of my favourite series by one of my favourite authors with one of my favourite publishers and while not as shocking as the last one, it is still addictive reading that you can't stop until the very end.
Recommended for fans of crime fiction, thrillers and suspense. Basically anyone looking for a gripping read and don't mind starting at the beginning of the series. Or at least "The Blossom Twins". Fantastic read!!
I would like to thank #CarolWyer, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheSecretAdmirer in exchange for an honest review.
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